Fall 2026 Conference Participation Award
We are pleased to announce that The Graduate School’s Conference Participation Award (formerly the Doctoral Student Travel Award) will be accepting applications from June 1 through June 30, 2026.
The Graduate School is committed to helping graduate students achieve their academic, professional, and personal goals during their time at the University of Connecticut. In support of this goal, The Graduate School offers a Conference Participation Award to support students’ ability to present their research at national or international meetings and conferences, including both in-person and virtual events. This conference participation fellowship in the amount of $750 will be awarded for Fall 2026 and paid through the student’s fee bill. If awarded, students will be notified in late July. Please review the eligibility criteria for the fellowship carefully before applying.
Students are responsible for knowing any and all travel advisories, restrictions, and relevant University policies and should plan accordingly. Students should stay up to date with information shared by the U.S. Department of State and the University’s Travel Services office.
Eligibility Criteria:
- The applicant must be a doctoral or MFA student.
- The applicant must be enrolled in the semester for which the fellowship is awarded, e.g., fall semester for applications due by June 30.
- The applicant must have successfully completed at least 30 credits toward their degree program prior to applying for this fellowship unless their program requires less than 30 credits with a prior master’s degree.
- If a student has attained a master’s degree from another university and their program only requires 15 doctoral credits with a master’s degree, they qualify for eligibility upon completion of all 15 credits. View the 15 Credit Programs list.
- The applicant is not eligible if they have previously received a Doctoral Student Travel Award or Conference Participation Award.
- The funds are intended to be used for participation in a conference at which the student is presenting their research.
- Students at UConn Health and UConn Law are not eligible for this award.
Please note, fellowships are not guaranteed, as funds are limited and pending budgetary approval. We hope to provide funding to all eligible applicants, but eligible students who are not awarded in this cycle will be encouraged to apply in the next cycle.
The deadline for application is June 30, 2026. Applications received following this date will not be considered. You can access the application form and more information on this webpage.
Academic Job Series – Summer 2026
Presenter: Melanie Sinche
Presenter: Kay Kimball Gruder
Presenter: Dr. Rachel Prunier
Presenter: Kay Kimball Gruder
Presenter: Melanie Sinche
Presenter: Kay Kimball Gruder
Faculty Affiliate for Inclusive Excellence
The Graduate School continues to host one Faculty Affiliate for Inclusive Excellence for a two year term. Our affiliate focuses on improving support for students from minoritized communities. The affiliate takes leadership of several of our mentorship programs, including the Network for Enriched Mentoring and the Research Apprentice Program. The affiliate will also have the opportunity to create innovative ideas and initiatives, such as developing resources and establishing programs that future faculty affiliates can sustain with support from The Graduate School staff. The affiliate will work very closely with The Graduate School staff and with relevant faculty and staff throughout the University.
An affiliate devotes an average of 3-4 hours per week to their service for which they will receive a research stipend of $7500. There will also be some funds available to support initiatives that the affiliate develops.
We invite both applications and nominations for the affiliate position. Please contact Mary Bernstein (Mary.Bernstein@uconn.edu) or Karen Bresciano (karen.bresciano@uconn.edu) if you would like more information about becoming an affiliate or if you would like to nominate someone. To apply, email graduatedean@uconn.edu and include a brief statement (no more than 1-2 pages) describing why you are interested in the position, the experience you have that makes you a good candidate for the position, and an initial idea or two about what you would plan to accomplish if you were selected as an affiliate. We will begin considering applications and nominations on May 22, 2026, and the review will continue until the affiliate has been selected.
In past years, our affiliates developed mentorship guides for faculty and graduate students to promote inclusive excellence and launched a Network for Enriched Mentorship (NEM) designed to connect mentees with mentors outside of their coursework and dissertations who have experience navigating obstacles (e.g., systemic bias, personal hardship, alternative career trajectories) or who can be effective and accountable allies.
Interested applicants could develop projects that support an equitable and supportive educational environment and that foster a sense of community, with a particular focus on providing support for graduate students and postdocs from minoritized groups. Ideas for other creative projects are welcome.
